CASH contributed by Westfield to spruce up Hammersmith Broadway is finally going to be used, five years after it was allocated.

The owners of the giant Shepherd's Bush shopping mall handed £500,000 to each of the borough's town centres at the request of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, to keep traditional high streets competitive in the face of the increased competition.

The council says it withheld the money while building a new slip road to ease traffic congestion in Fulham Palace Road.

With that project now complete, the authority is forging ahead with plans to make the area directly outside the Broadway's town centre entrance more pleasant for the thousands of pedestrians who use it every day.

Its priority is to remove the 'cluttered' street furniture, such as bins and lampposts, spread around near the entrance.

More seating and cycle racks will be added, and more trees planted to the east of the site, winding round towards the north. The council believes this will create a 'visually strong first impression'.

HammersmithLondon, the business improvement district, says the changes are long overdue and would go someway to reflecting Hammersmith's status as one of London's prime commercial hubs.

HammersmithLondon's Susannah Frieze said: "We are always looking to improve the green aspects of this concrete jungle that is the centre of Hammersmith, so more trees are a bonus and removing some of the clutter fits in with our 'less is more' mantra.

"The town centre is definitely beginning to look the part, but there is still a way to go."

Council leader-in-waiting Nick Botterill said: "This project will significantly improve access for pedestrians and cyclists in the Hammersmith Broadway area, and is another example of where we are making travelling in our borough easier and better, as part of our Get H&F Moving campaign. These much-needed improvements will make a huge difference to residents, commuters and visitors to our borough, and all at no cost to the taxpayer.”

The council's cabinet gave the project the go-ahead at a meeting on Monday. The work, expected to begin in September, will cost £436,000.

Other projects being explored by the BID includes building green spaces on the roofs of some buildings to trap rainwater and encourage wildlife.